As a business owner, what comes to mind when you think of accessibility? It’s not about ticking a box to say you’re compliant; it’s about making a real difference to people who need additional help and support in the UK. It’s non-negotiable; business owners have a legal obligation to make adaptations to their premises to ensure accessibility.
In 2023, there were over 16 million people in the UK classed as disabled, and a recent report in 2024 found that there is a huge lack of awareness in businesses over the understanding and scale of access needed and how they need to adapt as per the Equality Act 2010.
The thing is that many businesses are still treating accessibility like an afterthought. A “disabled” toilet that is nothing more than a glorified storage room, or that ramp attached to a building that truly doesn’t help much at all and makes things more complicated for those in wheelchairs.
This post is going to look into some of the different things you can do as a business owner to make your premises more accessible.
Wider Doorways and Automatic Doors
Have you ever tried to squeeze through a doorway with your hands full or with shopping and a pram with a child in tow, too? It’s not easy, of course, and for the most part, you’re reliant on the goodwill of others to help you by holding open doors so you can gain access or exit a premises.
When you add in larger pushchairs for children with disabilities or wheelchairs, you’re presenting a huge barrier to those who can’t easily navigate through narrow doorways. Or even doorways that need two hands to open or have their opening features, i.e. handles higher than waist height.
Widening doorways and adding automatic doors can resolve this problem. Swapping to lever handles that can be pushed down or pulled down can also increase accessibility for those who struggle to use their hands over knobs.
Ramps and Lifts Even The Playing Field
Ramps are a great addition to any building as they don’t just allow for easier access for wheelchair users, they’re beneficial for people who can’t manage steps, prams, delivery drivers, etc. They’re not just there to make your life harder; they’re valuable in ensuring people can enter your business and patronise your company.
The same goes for lifts, too. Commercial lifts allow people to traverse businesses with more than one level, and even outdoor lifts in the absence of a ramp can be massively beneficial. Outdoor lifts, or outdoor platform lifts or vertical platform lifts, as they might be known, provide an alternative to standard ramps where space is limited or ramps can’t be installed, i.e., a listed building.
Small Tweak, Huge Impacts
It’s not just the massive changes that impact accessibility; it’s the small ones, too. Lowered reception desks or desks with lowered sections for wheelchair users, handrails for those with reduced mobility on long hallways or on stairs and ramps, and seating points for people to stop and take a rest, removing clutter from aisles, separating seating and making walkways wider are all significant areas to think about. Because sometimes, the small details that are overlooked are appreciated.
